Connectivity was chosen as a finalist for Marc Morial Convention Center’s public art RFP.

Connectivity is a piece that strives to define its namesake. Function meets beauty with outlets embedded in the legs of the pieces, so viewers can plug into the sculpture to charge a phone or laptop before, between, or after meetings and performances. Benches echoing the aesthetics of the pieces invite viewers to sit, gather, and connect around Connectivity for more than just a passing glance. As they peer through translucent panels, viewers will get lost in watching the world around them almost literally through the lens of the artists. My aim is that visitors will be drawn out of the building to explore this piece that echoes the modernization in the design update. Just as key elements of design draw your eye to travel around a painting, Connectivity will serve as a catalyst to motion through the convention center’s new pedestrian park. True to the form of Connectivity, all the artists’ descriptions are varied, connected by the sameness of our frames. Our designs converge on the fourth sculpture as they are melded together.

The predecessors of Connectivity were borne from a conversation I needed to have with myself about existence. When I first began making these pieces, I viewed them as a representation of the body. They were cold and cage-like, but as I continued to make these, I started to see the freedom of movements between the lines. I started to view them as a conduit instead of a cage. The steel I used represents the energetic force that connects us all – similar to what some call Higg’s boson. The open spaces provide space for the movement of experience. All the experiences are different angles, or points of view, while remaining connected by the metal frame. Connectivity seeks to define that experience from multiple perspectives. In the spirit of Connectivity, I have asked a team of artists and creators to collaborate with me. Ayo Scott, Kara Crowley, and I, Breanna Thompson, have each created designs on the panels that define the spaces between the lines creating portals for the viewers to enter and experience. My years in fabrication rewarded me by introducing me to Daniel Krall, owner of Downtown FabWorks. Daniel has been our frame, a primary point of reference and guidance, supporting and advising us throughout the process. Most of the fabrication work will take place in Downtown FabWork’s fabrication warehouse, with the exception of CNC work and work in the artists’ studios. 

Developing this project with the rest of the team has been such a beautiful reflection of the project’s intent. We’ve come together to discuss and define the planes of our experiences, gaining valuable insight, wisdom, and knowledge from and about each other in the process. 

In the words of artist Ayo Scott, “My approach to “connectivity” is grounded in the idea of the nature of being. No matter how unique we are individually, we all have elements that contribute to who/what we are that can be found in others who seem to be quite different. My tree exists as a spectrum (each triangular panel consisting predominantly of a single color from the visible spectrum. Each panel includes basic geometric shapes and graphic support elements that are directly taken from OTHER panels) the circular forms imply ideas of self and other in ways that allow us to see ourselves in one another.  The team tree will combine the ideas of all 3 team members in a form that allows for a continuum of ideas of collective consciousness and self in a way that looks at individuals as parts of oneself and not as ‘other.’”

In the words of artist Kara Crowley, “Unity has always been a form of peace amongst others, but it also means accepting one’s love, support, and one’s self, no matter what their background may be. This happens through action, more than words, which is why I used hands from multiple races. The magnolias used within the backgrounds are to represent the beauty in unity, and nobility and endurance.” 

I will be painting on layers of resin that encase dandelion plants and seeds made from feathers and beads, a process that honors my ancestors and their methods of creation. The human subjects are painted on layers of resin, which will give them the illusion of three-dimensional mass. Those layers are made to represent the experiences, predecessors, sacrifices, among other things that combine to build a person. My piece is an interpretation of the quote, “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams,” by Brianne James. Dandelion seeds are dispersed throughout the panels. They carry with them would-be descendants, the dreams and wishes of the ancestors who passed over this very ground. In a salute to Black joy, I illustrate Black people full of hope. They look forward to the future as they drift along, some of them dropping golden seeds of their own, just as their predecessors, who brought seeds and food over in their hair. My piece illustrates joy while acknowledging that our futures are not set in stone. Where these seeds fall will determine their likelihood of survival, but like the dandelion, Black people have proven to persevere through the toughest of challenges thriving where others may not. Just like the dandelion, we have been discounted and discouraged. Dandelions are seen as weeds to many, but the plant has so many uses and health benefits. I am not suggesting that our humanity should be respected only based on our ability to heal or benefit others but that despite the odds, we continue to thrive and provide sustenance to ourselves and the world at large in a multitude of ways. It’s important to me to give the spirits of my ancestors, who built this city, joy and rest. It’s important to allow them to cast their light in joyful memory. In my opinion, t’s healing to all who experience it. 

At night, Connectivity will glow. I see it acting as a beacon and meeting place. “You can’t miss it,” is what visitors will say as they meet up to continue their adventure through the new park and porches. Some may stay for a while, reading books, working, or just conversing by the glow of the sculpture, taking moments to peer up at the work by which they find themselves encased, protected, and transported. In days of heavy sun, which we have more often than not, viewers will find shade. They’ll be showered in the colors created as the sun shines through the acrylic and resin panels. They will be able to sit in the secondary drawings that are made on the surroundings. The benches at the feet of the pieces allow for flow through the piece as a whole, so if a viewer is not called to stay, they can pass through without disturbing those who are. Passersby will be unobstructed as they walk through the piece since the floor of the work will be a continuation of the existing pavers. The water features in front of the atrium, where we are proposing to install this piece, will be perfectly visible through the legs of the piece, since the lowest point of any panel is six feet up. The sounds of the water flow with the piece, urging viewers to stop and take a breath from their hectic schedules, and sending them off with a moment of peace and inspiration.